Global General

Greeks prepare to celebrate Christmas in austerity

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-12-22 09:48

According to estimates since June, 3,000 to 4,000 businesses close down on average every month. The figure could double next month, the business representatives said.

According to the most optimistic scenario so far, the sector will certainly lose 3 billion euros ($3.9 billion) during this year's Christmas and New Year's Eve holiday season, despite discounts offered to consumers that reach up to 30 percent.

Greek households this year have to face cutbacks on wages, allowances, pensions and increasing percentages of taxes and jobless.

For the first time in decades, Greek civil servants and pensioners will not receive their so-called 13th month salary - a bonus amounting to a full salary for the Christmas holidays that traditionally was spent on gifts and travel.

The 400-euro ($524.9) allowance granted instead to pensioners aged over 60 years and earning less than 2,500 euros ($3,280) per month or the 500-euro ($656.15) allowance given to civil servants earning less than 3,000 euros ($3,936) per month will be used by most Greeks to pay bank debts.

According to a recent survey by the Delloitte firm, seven in 10 respondents said that their purchasing power was reduced compared to 2009 and therefore plan to lower their expenses for Christmas and New Year's Eve by 20 percent.

A survey done by the Consumers Protection Center showed that six in 10 Greeks will spend what is left from their 13th month salary on debts to banks, tax authorities, heating and fees for schools.

Despite the disappointing figures, Greeks still seek economic ways to forget about the crisis for a while and enjoy life with their relatives and friends.

Apart from the free of charge open air events and parties organized by municipalities for Christmas and New Year's Eve, Athenians have the chance to attend special shows at the Megaron Athens Concert Hall or the opera.

Continuing a decades long tradition, the Megaron hosts a series of events addressed to children and grown-ups these days. From December 15 to 29 Bolshoi ballet dancers hold a string of shows, performing plays such as "The Nutcracker".

Fans of classical music will also have the opportunity to enjoy the famous Children's Choir of Vienna this week and the London Community Gospel Choir the following week.

Families who will opt for shows hosted at the Opera will contribute to an effort run under the auspices of the Labor Ministry to raise a sum of money during the holidays for donations to good causes.

Ahead of Christmas and New Year's Eve, artists who take part in plays hosted at the Opera will also perform at shelters for disabled people, children and the elderly.

They aim to send a message of love and hope that is the true spirit of Christmas beyond consumerism, wishing that Greece will exit the crisis as soon as possible.